Computer Support Technician
Salary

Computer Support Technicians in the United States take home approximately $16.55 per hour on average. Total incomes of Computer Support Technicians incorporate potential for, in a few cases, more than $2K from bonuses and close to $7K from profit sharing; these performance components cause packages to range between $26K and $54K. Residence and experience level each impact pay for this group, with the former having the largest influence. Some workers in this field — just over a fifth — are not awarded benefits. Medical coverage is reported by a fair number and dental plans are enjoyed by the greater part. The vast majority (84 percent) of Computer Support Technicians who answered the questionnaire are male. Work is enjoyable for Computer Support Technicians, who typically claim high levels of job satisfaction. This report is based on responses to the PayScale salary survey.

XTotal Pay combines base annual salary or hourly wage, bonuses, profit sharing, tips, commissions, overtime pay and other forms of cash earnings, as applicable for this job. It does not include equity (stock) compensation, cash value of retirement benefits, or the value of other non-cash benefits (e.g. healthcare).

XTotal Pay combines base annual salary or hourly wage, bonuses, profit sharing, tips, commissions, overtime pay and other forms of cash earnings, as applicable for this job. It does not include equity (stock) compensation, cash value of retirement benefits, or the value of other non-cash benefits (e.g. healthcare).

Job Description for Computer Support Technician

A computer support technician helps to maintain the usability of a business or organization’s information technology (IT) hardware assets. In many situations, this means working with desktop and laptop computers to make sure they operate as needed by a company’s employees. They work with the employees to help resolve any hardware operation problems to keep the employee working at optimal levels. In high-end IT work, support technicians also ensure that mainframes, dedicated server computers, and related technology remain online and operating as intended.

Computer support technicians normally spend much of their time working to ensure any hardware or software upgrades are executed according to company IT protocols, as well as ensuring that computer operators in the company receive any necessary training. The support tech acts as the help desk for the employees of the organization and helps resolve hardware- and IT-related complaints. Support technicians also need to execute routine repairs and maintenance on company equipment. As new technology becomes available, they must execute an efficient installation of this new equipment and facilitate any necessary training for employees who will use it. The support tech usually works in an office environment during regular business hours; however, large-scale upgrades and installation may occasionally require overnight or evening work.

The education requirements for this position normally includes relevant postsecondary education, usually from a technical college. The computer support technician also likely needs to possess certifications for various software and operating systems used by the company.

Common Career Paths for Computer Support Technician

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Compensation usually increases greatly for Computer Support Technicians who advance to upper-end positions like Systems Administrator. Systems Administrators make $54K per year on average. Computer Support Technicians most often move into positions as Computer Technical Support Specialists or Network System Administrators; those groups report median salaries that are $3K higher and $13K higher, respectively.

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Popular Skills for Computer Support Technician

This chart shows the most popular skills for this job and what effect each skill has on pay.

Computer Support Technicians seem to wield many skills on the job. Most notably, skills in Windows NT / 2000 / XP Networking, Help Desk / Desktop Support, Microsoft Office, and Computer Hardware Technician are correlated to pay that is above average. At the other end of the pay range are skills like Help Desk / Desktop Support, Computer Service, and Customer Service. Most people experienced in Computer Hardware Technician also know Troubleshooting.

Pay by Experience Level for Computer Support Technician

Median of all compensation (including tips, bonus, and overtime) by years of experience.

More years of relevant experience do not necessarily translate to higher paychecks. Survey participants with less than five years' experience pocket $34K on average, but those with five to 10 years of experience enjoy a much bigger median of $40K. After working for 10 to 20 years, Computer Support Technicians make a median salary of $43K. Individuals who have achieved more than 20 years of experience don't seem to earn much more than people who have 10 to 20 years under their belts; the more senior group reports an average income of $44K.